DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Following significant disruptions in garbage and yard waste collection services during the final week of May, the city announced on Monday that Mayor Mo Baydoun has formally requested a $13,000 deduction from the city’s monthly payment to Priority Waste, citing contract provisions that hold the company financially accountable for missed or delayed collections.

In a statement, city officials acknowledged widespread service issues affecting neighborhoods across Dearborn Heights.

“We are fully aware of missed collections, delayed service routes and the accumulation of yard waste that has impacted neighborhood quality throughout the city,” the statement read.

According to the city, the disruptions were caused by a combination of equipment failures and an unusually large volume of waste generated during the holiday period that included both Memorial Day and Eid al-Adha celebrations.

City officials described the situation as “completely unacceptable” and emphasized that the requested $13,000 deduction is not a goodwill gesture but a contractual remedy the city intends to enforce.

“This is not merely a courtesy adjustment,” the statement read. “It is a contractual obligation, and the city is committed to ensuring that those provisions are fully implemented.”

The city also detailed the extent of the service failures on May 29 and 30, reporting that Priority Waste completed between 0 and 40 percent of scheduled bulk-item and compost collection routes during those two days.

According to municipal officials, rather than continuing efforts to catch up on the backlog from the previous week, Priority Waste made an operational decision to shift its focus toward completing the following week’s routes on schedule and maintaining regular service moving forward.

The Baydoun administration objected to that approach, describing it as an unacceptable solution that left many residents waiting for overdue collections.

The city said Priority Waste informed officials that maintenance crews were working overtime to perform extensive repairs and servicing on the company’s fleet of collection vehicles and that normal operations are expected to resume within approximately 10 days.

As part of its effort to ensure residents receive the level of service they are paying for, the Baydoun administration has also requested a formal performance review meeting with company representatives to discuss operational shortcomings and prevent similar problems from recurring.

City officials said the meeting will focus on service reliability, accountability measures and long-term solutions to ensure Dearborn Heights residents receive consistent and timely waste collection services.

The dispute comes as municipal leaders continue to emphasize neighborhood quality-of-life issues and seek stronger accountability from city contractors responsible for essential public services.